Spring (hopefully not in the air)

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mikemyers

mikemyers

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So many suggestions in various forums to get replacement springs, from any of several specialty shops.

Does it really matter if you order from Brownells, Wolff, Wilson, or any of the other reputable shops that provide these parts?

Wolff seems to have the most recommendations for whatever that's worth.
 
Not a whole lot as I think all of them (or almost all) are selling Wolff gunsprings anyway!
 
Wolff actually manufactures springs; the others sell Wolff springs or OEM springs. The gun makers do not always make their own springs, especially coil springs, since they can be bought cheaper than the factory can set up to make them.

IMHO, changing factory springs is a vastly over-rated "cure" for pretty much a non-existent problem. Unless a gun is very poorly made, factory springs will last for thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of rounds with no trouble. It seems today that "experts" blame any and every gun problem on springs and advise replacing them at ridiculous intervals. A poster on another site once claimed that the recoil spring of a 1911 type pistol should be replaced every 100 rounds (that is two (2) boxes of ammo, folks!)!! I assumed he either worked for a spring company, or was just plain nuts.

Jim
 
That's pretty much true, IMHO. I've only heard of one or two pistols where the manufacturer recommended replacing the mainspring after maybe 2,500 rounds, and those were subcompact type pistols.

I've shot a 1911 until the mainspring was trashed, but it took a lot of rounds. Probably 15K before it stopped returning the slide to battery firmly. And that was compounded by the fact that I hadn't cleaned it in several thousand rounds, either. A dousing with oil got it running again, though I did replace the spring later that week.
 
Jim K said:
........I assumed he either worked for a spring company, or was just plain nuts......
Click to expand...


Well, I don't work for any gun company or concern, and I hope I'm not simply "plain" nuts, but maybe just a little wacky, but....

.....he might have made the same mistake many of us do, and I've certainly done, reading something on the internet and accepting it as truth, when in reality it's meaningless.

We are all lucky that THR has attracted so many people who really do know what they're talking about, but it takes a long time to separate them from those who simply sound smart.


Back on topic, I think that from now on, I'll probably just buy springs direct from Wolff.
 
One of my shooting pals actually BROKE the mainspring in a SIG a couple years back, but at the time she estimated she had around 17,000 rounds through it. Still kind of surprised it broke.

A lot of my Glock shooting buds just find their springs get suuuuper light as they push up into the 20K range. Like 2-finger slide racking light.
 
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